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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. J. NEWBY. PIANO CASE.

No. 531,057. Patented Dec. 18,1894

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. J. NEWBY. PIANO CASE.

No. 531,057. Patented Dec. 18,1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED J. NEWBY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PIANO-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 531,057, dated December 18, 1894.

Application filed September 22, 1894. Serial No, 523,791- (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. NEWBY, of New York city, in the county and State of NewYork, have invented a newand Improved Piano-Case, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in piano cases and particularly to the mechanism for automatically moving up the front or music stand of the case by the lifting and pushing in of the key-board fall. In cases of this kind where the music stand is operated as specified, if the fall back or slide is made to fit tightly it does not work readily in damp weather, and if it does not fit tightly it is apt to bind in places and rattle in others, moving sometimes faster at one end than at the other.

The object of my invention is to produce a case of the kind named which has the fall back or slide plate arranged to move forward the music stand or front when the slide plate is pushed back, and it has the said slide plate provided with movable crank guides adapted to steady and guide the plate through its entire movement, so that the said plate, without fitting excessively tight, is still moved in a perfectly even and noiseless manner.

To these ends my invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a broken front elevation of a piano case showing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of 3, and shows the guide and slide mechanism of the fall. Fig. 3 is a broken cross section through the piano case, showing the fall and piano front or music stand in closed position; and Fig. 4: is a similar view, but with the music stand thrown forward and the fall open and pushed back.

The case 10 may be of any usual construction, and it is provided with the ordinary keyboard 11 above which is the tilting case front 12, which serves as a music stand and which is pivoted at its ends to the inner side and end portions of the case 10, as shown at 13. The front or music stand 12 is moved forward by a tilting lever 15 which is arranged vertically within the case and is hinged, as shown at 16, to the upper edge of the ordinary ogee finish board 17, but where this finish board is not used, the lever is hinged to any corresponding part of the case. The lower end of the lever enters a keeper 18 on the back edge of the slide plate or fall back 19 which moves on suitable supports 20 above the key-board ll and beneath the ogee board 17, while the upper surface of the slide plate moves beneath guide cushions 21.

It will be seen that when the slide plate is moved backward the lever 15 is tilted and the upper end of the lever thrown forward so as to swing out the music stand 12, as shown in Fig. i, and when the slide plate is pulled forward, the reverse action takes place. The keeper 18 might be dispensed with, but it is preferably used so as to make the movement of the lever positive and prevent any displacement of the lever.

The case is provided with the usual fall22 which is hinged, as shown at 23, to the front odge of the slide plate or fallback 19, and the fall has, near its inner edge and on the under side, the ordinary flange 24: which, when the fall is opened and pushed back, forms a guard or support for the music, as shown in Fig. 4.

In order that the slide plate 19 may move perfectly free and still be guided with great nicety, it is provided with crank guides which are arranged below it and connected with it, and to this end the slide plate has on top and near its inner edge and also near its ends, eyes 25, which receive the bent upper ends 26 of the cranks 27 which are adapted to swing in slots 27, see Fig. 2, of the slide plate, and at the lower ends the cranks are secured to a guide rod 28 which is held parallel with the slide plate 19 and extends the full length of the piano case, its ends moving in slideways 29 which are formed between the vertical cleats 30, as shown best in Figs. 3 and l.

It will be seen that when the slide plate 19 is pulled forward, as in Fig. 8, the cranks 27 also swing forward andwhcn the slide plate is pushed back the cranks swing back, the guide rod 28 meanwhile moving up and down in the slideways 29 and the cranks serve to prevent any rattling or shifting of the slide plate. The cranks would prevent the slide plates from being pushed too far inward but it is better to place limiting pins 31 in the path of'the slide plate, so that when the plate is pushed in a proper distance it will abut with the pins.

'It will be observed that exteriorly the case has the usual appearance, and in opening it the fall 22 is raised and tipped back in the usual manner, the slide plate being at the same time pushed inward and the slide plate, acting on the lever 15, tilts the lever and swings out the music stand or front 12 to the position shown in Fig.4, while, when the fall is tipped down and the slide plate pulled out, the lever 15 is brought back to a vertical position and the weight of the front or music stand 12 causes the latter to swing shut.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the piano case, its swinging front, the fall and the horizontally movable slide plate hinged to the fall, of the lever hinged on the case and having its lower end connected with the slide plate and its upper end extendingopposite theswingingfront, a vertically movable guide bar parallel with the slide plate, and cranks secured to the guide bar and pivoted to the slide plate, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the case, the swinging front, the horizontally movable slide plate having the fall hinged thereto and the lever operated by'the slide plate to move the swinging front, of the vertical slideways beneath the slide plate, a guide bar extending across the case and into the slideways, and cranks secured to the guide bar and pivoted to the slide plate, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the case, its swinging front, the slide plate and the fall carried by the slide plate, of crank guides held on adjacent supports and pivoted to the slide plate, and means for working the swinging front by the movement of the slide plate, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the case, the swinging front, supports arranged at opposite sides of the case below the swinging front, the fall back mounted to slide on said supports and having transverse slots at opposite sides of its rear portion, the fall hinged to the forward portion of the fall back, a guide bar arranged across the case parallel to the fall back and adapted to be moved vertically, crank arms at opposite ends of the guide bar having their upper ends extending through the slots in the fall back and pivotally connected to the upper surface thereof, and means for com municating the motion of said fall back to the swinging front, substantially as set forth.

ALFRED J. NEWBY.

Witnesses:

WARREN B. HUTOHINSON, JNo. M. BITTER. 

